Hike planned in town trash fee

The select board may hold a public hearing on June 17 to consider increasing trash fees to meet the solid waste disposal budget for the next fiscal year, the budget the town will be voting on at Town Meeting on May 17.

“The budget as presented has a fee increase built into it,” Town Manager Nancy Galkowski told the board at their regular meeting on May 3.

Galkowski asked the select board to plan the public hearing for their first meeting in June, but Selectman David White asked for a chance to meet and review the facts and figures behind a proposed increase, and then decide whether to increase fees and when. If the board decides to increase fees, a public hearing could be scheduled.

Galkowski said the increase is needed to meet a shortfall resulting from contractual increases in costs to dispose of solid waste and recyclables. The amount of the increase will depend on when the revenue begins to flow.

This year’s budget, Galkowski said, is short by about $52,000. If the selectmen don’t approve the increase for July 1 but perhaps delay until Aug. 1, “we’ll be missing a month of revenue,” Galkowski said.

The program currently in place has been successful beyond imagining for the town since Casella Waste Services of Charlton took over in 2007. At that time, the town and Casella gave residents the psychological boost they needed to recycle far more: the town’s 95-gallon green toter became the recycling toter, replacing the small open bin previously used. Residents were also allowed to commingle all types of recyclable material. A new, 65-gallon blue toter was provided for trash. The switch has resulted in a 42-percent recycling rate.